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Back The Ringmaster Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. The Ringmaster
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. Epilogue
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  73. Copyright

‘That guy from Gore?’ Smithy asked.

‘Yeah,’ I said.

‘Hummph.’

56

There was a bit of a buzz on in the squad room when we got back. The atmosphere had been rather muted this morning, but now there was a new energy. Something must have happened while we were out chasing academics.

‘What’s all the excitement?’ I asked. ‘Did someone finally get rid of the seagull?’

‘No, it’s still crapping in the foyer. Do you want the good news, or the bad news?’ Reihana asked.

‘I’ll vote good,’ Smithy said, sticking up his hand.

‘Good,’ I said and raised my hand too.

‘Thought you’d say that. As well as a few positive leads in Timaru, the good news is we’ve got a possible description of the offender in the Bateman case.’

‘Fantastic. Who from and how?’

‘The uniform branch guys down at the Botty Gardens. They went back to stopping everyone who used the walkway for a chat and got a hit from a student who reckons he might have seen our vic with a man on the night she was killed.’

‘And?’

‘Not a very detailed one, I’m afraid. The guy said the man had his back to him for most of the time, and he wasn’t taking that much notice of them anyway, but he appeared to be a Caucasian, five-foot nine or ten. He guessed around thirty to forty years old.’ He saw my raised eyebrows. ‘Yeah, I know, not terribly helpful, but he said it was hard to tell the age because the guy was wrapped up, had a beanie, trendy hooded anorak-type jacket, scarf, jeans and the light wasn’t that good. He thought it was around eight o’clock.’

‘So in reality, he could have been any age. And it was definitely Rose-Marie?’

‘Yes, recognised her from a photograph.’

‘And his comments on their body language?’

‘Said they just appeared to be having a friendly chat.’

The question that always jumped to mind in these situations popped out.

‘Why’s it taken so damned long for him to say something? Why didn’t he come forward last week? It’s been splashed all over the news and I’m sure it’s been all the talk down at the uni.’

Reihana gave a snort. ‘They asked him that and his dumb-nut excuse was he didn’t think it would be important.’

‘I’d bet he’d have thought it was important if it was his sister,’ I said. Some people were so thick it defied belief.

‘You said he was a student. He didn’t recognise the man as someone from the university?’ Smithy asked. Reihana shook his head. ‘What faculty was he in?’

‘Law and commerce.’ Another flaming law student.

‘So chances are the man wasn’t a law or commerce lecturer or prof then?’

‘They’re big faculties, but no, most students would recognise their main teaching staff.’